What happens when you are not in your model home sales center? Builders and new home sales professionals, read on, because what happens (or does not happen) in your model does matter.
Builders all know the financial and time commitment required to design and build a model home, the most valuable sales tool. The expense continues as the home is decorated, landscaped, heated, cooled, cleaned and maintained. Loans, taxes and association dues may contribute to the ongoing expense. With the model complete, prospective clients are now able to visit and view the finished product. Will they leave your model with firsthand knowledge of the expertise and attention to detail that went into the design and building of this model, from drawing board to cutting board? In addition to the aforementioned expenses, the expense of staffing the model cannot be overlooked. In these times of re-sizing sales organizations, we need to take a hard look at the effect the “warm body” sitting in your model may have on your sales and referral outcomes.
While visiting five model homes recently, I found them all to be staffed with assistants, or “Hosts”. Yes, the doors were open and I did go inside to view the interior, but no one offered informative and interesting information about the model or the builder. More importantly, I was allowed to leave the model without providing any contact information to the host. How was I to be reached for follow-up or put in the pipeline? The day that I made these visits, I was actually a non-contingent buyer and no one even asked my name or wanted to hear my story.
The builder and the model home sales professional cannot always be in the model. The Model Assistant is an important part of the sales team and they should be chosen wisely and educated properly to make sure they understand the value they bring to both the sales team and the potential buyer. They may not have the authority to move the buyer to the next level, but the ability to convey their enthusiasm, knowledge of their product and understanding of the buyer’s needs can go a long way towards influencing the model visitor. In order to find the right people for your model, you (and they) should have a clear definition of what their essential functions will be. Here are some thoughts you might want to consider. Your model assistant will:
- get up and greet customer warmly and enthusiastically
- be knowledgeable of their floor plan and also other options available to view
- confidently demonstrate the model home and provide general information on its features
- provide customer with available information relative to their inquiries
- provide information regarding the community and surrounding areas
- know and communicate the strengths of the builder and what makes them unique
- give a 2nd party testimonial about the salesperson who will be following up with them
- obtain a Customer Communication Card filled out with the pertinent information (and know what the pertinent information is)
- understand that their job starts when the model door opens
- believe they are part of a dynamic sales team, (not a “warm body for the day”) and convey that to the visitors
TIPS: Here are some tips to ensure that you will be open for business at all times:
- Hire the right person to be the assistant. Spend as much time on this interview as you do the sales person in charge of the community.
- Create a Job Description so they know what is expected of them.
- Inspect what you expect from them. Their chances of success (and yours) will be diminished if they rarely see a sales professional. Include them in sales meetings to keep them involved and up to speed on what is happening. This does not have to be a huge time commitment.
- Provide them with the information and training they need to be knowledgeable and capable.
- Monitor and measure their performance and expect them to do the same. It will keep them striving for better results each time the door opens.
- Put an Incentive Plan in place that motivates them. Financial rewards should not be limited to the professional sales team.
- In addition to knowledge and training, remember there is no substitute for someone whose greeting and smile conveys honesty and concern.
These people are indispensible to your companies. It is an under-rated position that could pay dividends to your sales organization, if selected properly and trained appropriately!
Empower everyone on your Team with the right training and tools of the trade to keep your sales organization moving forward.
About the Author:
Kerry Mulcrone is President of Mulcrone & Associates, a New Home Sales and Sales Training company based in Minnesota. Since 1986 Kerry has been selling, training, teaching and motivating in the New Home Sales arena, providing organizations and clients with insight and perspective to boost their company and customer growth. With 20 plus years of hands-on experience from a top salesperson and new home sales manger to the Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Kerry has held numerous positions offering her “realistic, practical” approach and style. You can contact Kerry at (612)817-4089, kerry@kerrymulcrone.com or on the web at http://www.kerrymulcrone.com/.
